diff --git a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee-timeblock.vue b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee-timeblock.vue
index d70f223..b10c50d 100644
--- a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee-timeblock.vue
+++ b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee-timeblock.vue
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ const otherTimeblocksForSameDate = computed(() => {
     // Skip current timeblock - compare by reference or by matching all key properties
     if (
       tb === currentTimeblock ||
-      (tb.employee_id === currentTimeblock.employee_id &&
+      (tb.employee_id == currentTimeblock.employee_id &&
         tb.date === currentTimeblock.date &&
         tb.starts_at_time === currentTimeblock.starts_at_time &&
         tb.ends_at_time === currentTimeblock.ends_at_time &&
diff --git a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee.vue b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee.vue
index 0810002..c2b0f59 100644
--- a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee.vue
+++ b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/_components/employees/a-employee.vue
@@ -91,14 +91,14 @@ const setTimeblockRef = (el: any, index: number) => {
 const selectedEmployee = computed(() => {
   if (!props.employeeData.id) return null;
   const employees = store.getters['tm/enrichedEmployees'];
-  return employees.find((emp: any) => emp.id === props.employeeData.id) || null;
+  return employees.find((emp: any) => emp.id == props.employeeData.id) || null;
 });
 
 // Filter allTimeblocks to only include timeblocks for current employee
 const allTimeblocksForCurrentEmployee = computed(() => {
   if (!props.employeeData.id) return [];
   return props.allTimeblocks.filter(
-    (tb) => tb.employee_id === props.employeeData.id,
+    (tb) => tb.employee_id == props.employeeData.id,
   );
 });
 
diff --git a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/z-task-modal.vue b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/z-task-modal.vue
index 1992945..e565d91 100644
--- a/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/z-task-modal.vue
+++ b/app/src/plugins/tm@modal/task/z-task-modal.vue
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@
           </div>
 
           <!-- Employee Assignment with Timeblocks -->
-          <!-- Edit Mode: Single Employee -->
+          <!-- Edit Mode: Single Employee (for published subtasks) -->
           <A-employee
-            v-if="subtask.id"
+            v-if="subtask.id && !isDraftWithMultipleEmployees"
             v-model:employee-data="editModeEmployee"
             :timeblocks="getEmployeeTimeblocks(subtask.employee_id)"
             :all-timeblocks="timeblocks"
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
             "
           />
 
-          <!-- Create Mode: Multiple Employees -->
+          <!-- Multi-Employee Mode (for new tasks and drafts with multiple employees) -->
           <template v-else>
             <A-employee
               v-for="(employee, index) in subtask.employees"
@@ -350,6 +350,13 @@ export default {
         }
       },
     },
+    isDraftWithMultipleEmployees() {
+      return (
+        this.subtask?.is_draft &&
+        Array.isArray(this.subtask?.employees) &&
+        this.subtask.employees.length > 0
+      );
+    },
   },
 
   validations() {
@@ -369,7 +376,7 @@ export default {
       // In edit mode: reassign timeblocks to new employee
       if (this.subtask.id) {
         this.timeblocks = this.timeblocks.map((tb) => {
-          if (tb.employee_id === oldValue) {
+          if (tb.employee_id == oldValue) {
             return { ...tb, employee_id: value };
           }
           return tb;
@@ -377,7 +384,7 @@ export default {
       } else {
         // In create mode: remove old employee's timeblocks
         this.timeblocks = this.timeblocks.filter(
-          (tb) => tb.employee_id !== oldValue,
+          (tb) => tb.employee_id != oldValue,
         );
       }
 
@@ -554,7 +561,7 @@ export default {
     // Helper: Get timeblocks for specific employee
     getEmployeeTimeblocks(employeeId) {
       if (!this.timeblocks) return [];
-      return this.timeblocks.filter((tb) => tb.employee_id === employeeId);
+      return this.timeblocks.filter((tb) => tb.employee_id == employeeId);
     },
 
     updateEmployeeTimeblocks(updatedTimeblocks, employeeId) {
@@ -565,7 +572,7 @@ export default {
       const deletedIds = this.timeblocks
         .filter(
           (tb) =>
-            tb.employee_id === employeeId && tb.id && !updatedIds.has(tb.id),
+            tb.employee_id == employeeId && tb.id && !updatedIds.has(tb.id),
         )
         .map((tb) => tb.id)
         .filter((id) => !this.deletedTimeblockIds.includes(id));
@@ -574,7 +581,7 @@ export default {
 
       // Replace timeblocks for this employee
       const otherEmployeeTimeblocks = this.timeblocks.filter(
-        (tb) => tb.employee_id !== employeeId,
+        (tb) => tb.employee_id != employeeId,
       );
       const updatedWithEmployeeId = updatedTimeblocks.map((tb) => ({
         ...tb,
@@ -608,7 +615,7 @@ export default {
 
       // Get timeblocks for this employee
       const employeeTimeblocks = this.timeblocks.filter(
-        (tb) => tb.employee_id === employeeId,
+        (tb) => tb.employee_id == employeeId,
       );
 
       if (afterIndex === -1 || afterIndex >= employeeTimeblocks.length - 1) {
@@ -654,7 +661,7 @@ export default {
         if (this.subtask.employee_id) {
           // Remove all timeblocks for this employee
           this.timeblocks = this.timeblocks.filter(
-            (tb) => tb.employee_id !== this.subtask.employee_id,
+            (tb) => tb.employee_id != this.subtask.employee_id,
           );
         }
 
@@ -670,7 +677,7 @@ export default {
         if (employee?.id) {
           // Remove all timeblocks for this employee
           this.timeblocks = this.timeblocks.filter(
-            (tb) => tb.employee_id !== employee.id,
+            (tb) => tb.employee_id != employee.id,
           );
         }
 
@@ -741,8 +748,59 @@ export default {
           // Store timeblocks in the component's timeblocks array
           this.timeblocks = convertedTimeblocks;
 
-          // Ensure at least one timeblock exists for edit mode
-          if (data.employee_id && this.timeblocks.length === 0) {
+          // If draft with employees data, parse timeblocks for each employee
+          if (
+            data.is_draft &&
+            data.employees &&
+            Array.isArray(data.employees)
+          ) {
+            const draftTimeblocks = [];
+
+            data.employees.forEach((employee) => {
+              if (employee.timeblocks && Array.isArray(employee.timeblocks)) {
+                employee.timeblocks.forEach((timeblock) => {
+                  // Convert BE format to internal format
+                  if (timeblock.start && timeblock.end) {
+                    const startMoment = moment(
+                      timeblock.start,
+                      'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss',
+                    );
+                    const endMoment = moment(
+                      timeblock.end,
+                      'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss',
+                    );
+                    draftTimeblocks.push({
+                      id: timeblock.id || null,
+                      date: startMoment.toDate(),
+                      starts_at_time: startMoment.format('HH:mm'),
+                      ends_at_time: endMoment.format('HH:mm'),
+                      is_finished: timeblock.is_finished || 0,
+                      employee_id: employee.id, // Associate with employee
+                    });
+                  }
+                });
+              }
+            });
+
+            // Use draft timeblocks if they exist
+            if (draftTimeblocks.length > 0) {
+              this.timeblocks = draftTimeblocks;
+            }
+
+            // Ensure employees array has proper structure for editing
+            // Check if last employee is not empty, then add empty slot
+            const lastEmployee = data.employees[data.employees.length - 1];
+            if (lastEmployee && (lastEmployee.id || lastEmployee.duration)) {
+              data.employees.push({});
+            }
+          }
+
+          // Ensure at least one timeblock exists for edit mode (non-draft single employee)
+          if (
+            data.employee_id &&
+            !data.is_draft &&
+            this.timeblocks.length === 0
+          ) {
             this.addTimeblock(data.employee_id);
           }
 
@@ -881,7 +939,7 @@ export default {
                 timeblock.date &&
                 timeblock.starts_at_time &&
                 timeblock.ends_at_time &&
-                timeblock.employee_id === this.subtask.employee_id,
+                timeblock.employee_id == this.subtask.employee_id,
             ) // Only send complete timeblocks for this employee
             .map((timeblock) => {
               const dateStr = moment(timeblock.date).format('YYYY-MM-DD');
@@ -895,6 +953,36 @@ export default {
 
           const payload = { ...this.subtask, timesheets, timeblocks };
 
+          // For drafts with multiple employees, include employees array
+          if (this.subtask.is_draft && this.isDraftWithMultipleEmployees) {
+            const validEmployees = this.subtask.employees.filter(
+              (employee) => employee.id && employee.duration,
+            );
+
+            // Assign timeblocks to each employee
+            validEmployees.forEach((employee) => {
+              employee.timeblocks = this.timeblocks
+                .filter(
+                  (tb) =>
+                    tb.employee_id == employee.id &&
+                    tb.date &&
+                    tb.starts_at_time &&
+                    tb.ends_at_time,
+                )
+                .map((tb) => ({
+                  start: `${moment(tb.date).format('YYYY-MM-DD')} ${
+                    tb.starts_at_time
+                  }:00`,
+                  end: `${moment(tb.date).format('YYYY-MM-DD')} ${
+                    tb.ends_at_time
+                  }:00`,
+                  id: tb.id || null,
+                }));
+            });
+
+            payload.employees = validEmployees;
+          }
+
           if (concept) {
             payload.is_draft = 1;
           } else {
@@ -925,7 +1013,7 @@ export default {
                   timeblock.date &&
                   timeblock.starts_at_time &&
                   timeblock.ends_at_time &&
-                  timeblock.employee_id === employee.id,
+                  timeblock.employee_id == employee.id,
               )
               .map((timeblock) => {
                 return {
@@ -1002,7 +1090,10 @@ export default {
 
     _mergeDeadlineTimeDate() {
       // Override for concept tasks which may not have a deadline time set (check for invalid date)
-      if (isNaN(new Date(this.subtask.deadline).getTime())) {
+      if (
+        isNaN(new Date(this.subtask.deadline).getTime()) ||
+        !this.subtask._deadline_time
+      ) {
         this.subtask.deadline = null;
       } else {
         const date = new Date(this.subtask.deadline);